Measurement Practice

• In Event: Disrupting Hegemonic Quantitative Practice

Abstract

Measurement matters, especially as it applies to understanding the expressed realities of minoritized groups. Complicating matters further, measurements intended to capture information on race, religion, gender, and sexuality often fail to account for the fluidity of these constructs. As Humes and Hogan (2009) explain, “It is well accepted that concepts of race, ethnicity, and ancestry are changing constructs that reflect the social, economic, and political climate of the times” (p. 111). Although no silver bullets exist regarding the measurement of minoritized identities – especially within the context of a rapidly changing socio-political and economic climate – some innovative solutions and patterns of solutions may ameliorate the ways quantitative scholars collect information from and about marginalized communities. Examples range from disrupting norms concerning the categorical measurement of race, religion, gender, and sexuality to designing measurement innovations that account for intersectionalities across and between identification patterns. The current presentation will provide a discussion of these issues, offer examples of the different ways scholars have measured these constructs, and provide a roadmap for those seeking to measure minoritized narratives in ways that respect their location in a changing historical and political landscape.

Author

• Matthew J. Mayhew, The Ohio State University